Toy action figure with rotation heads

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an action figure in which the action figure has two heads that are rotatable in and out of a body cavity where each head has a different expression from the other head.

This is a non-provisional application of provisional application Ser. No. 60/699,129 by Leanne Howard and Marlene Fitzpatrick filed on Jul. 14, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an action figure capable of changing from a first facial expression to a second facial expression. In particular, the present invention relates to an action figure in which the action figure has two heads that rotate in and out of a body cavity where each head has a different expression from the other head.

2. The Related Prior Art

US Patent Publication 2005/0054260 A1 discloses a monkey doll with pliable material and an internal mechanism for moving the face.

US Patent Publication 2005/0003733 discloses a toy with an upper body house that when actuated moves the eyes.

It would be desirable to have an action figure that has interchangeable heads each with a separate facial expression where the heads rotate in and out of a body cavity so that only one head is in place on top of the action figure body at a time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an action figure in which the action figure has two heads, each with a different facial expression, that rotate in and out of a body cavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing the head removed;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing the head removed;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view showing a head bearing a docile facial expression;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view showing another head bearing a belligerent facial expression;

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view in a state where both heads are visible;

FIG. 6 is the same as FIG. 5 but rotated 180°;

FIG. 7 is a rear view with the rear hinged leaf panel removed and the mechanism visible;

FIG. 8 is a rear view with the rear hinged leaf panel removed and the rotating platform removed;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the rotating platform;

FIG. 10 is a trigger system and a gear rack of the trigger mechanism when the legs are pressed together;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view along lines 11-11 in FIG. 7 showing the pusher of the gear rack when a user starts to press the legs together and activates the trigger mechanism which in turn pushes the pusher up and starting the rotation of the rack pinion of the rotating platform;

FIG. 12 is a partial cutaway view of the rotating platform showing ratchet teeth on the pinion and the gear clutch on the rotating platform and a coil spring that keeps them pressed one to the other allowing the pinion to rotate the platform only in one direction;

FIG. 13 is a side view of the platform rotated 90° and with the front hinged leaf panel on the left side and also the rear hinged leaf panel on the right side;

FIG. 14 illustrates the side view of the platform rotated a little bit more than 90° when the front hinged leaf panel and hinge spring returns back to its closed position. At the same time the rear hinged leaf panel pushes the dual head assembly inside the platform frame opening which has guiding grooves on both sides;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the platform when the legs are released (e.g., platform rotated at 180° and facial expression changed);

FIG. 16 is a sectional-view along lines 16-16 of FIG. 14 showing the platform frame opening with guiding grooves and the head assembly inside; and

FIGS. 17 and 18 show two positions of the heads illustrating the rotational motion for one head to emerge and the other head to return inside the body cavity of the toy action figure where FIG. 17is a sectional view along lines 14-14 of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Referring to the drawings in FIGS. 1-18, FIGS. 1 and 2 show the toy action FIG. 1 with its head removed from the front 2 and rear 3 views, respectively. FIG. 3 shows one 4 of the two rotatable heads having a docile or calm facial expression or look. FIG. 4 shows the second head 5 having a belligerent or angry facial expression or look.

FIG. 5 is a top view illustrating a moment during the rotation of the two figure heads when both heads are visible. FIG. 6 also illustrates a top view during the rotation of the two heads where the heads are rotated 180 degrees from the position in FIG. 5.

The mechanism of the toy action figure is revealed with the rear hinged leaf panel removed in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 shows a rear view of the interior of the toy action figure with both the rear panel and the rotating platform removed. The heads are mounted on opposite sides of the rotating platform.

The two rotating heads and the rotating platform 6, on which the heads are mounted on opposite sides of the platform, can be seen in FIG. 9.

When the legs of the toy action figure are pushed together, only one leg is pushed in toward the other one (which remains fairly stationary), the rotational mechanism, and the pusher element or pusher 11 of the gear rack or gear mechanism 13 is activated by the trigger mechanism 12 is activated (see FIG. 10). The trigger mechanism has two legs pivotally connected 12 a, 12 b as well as a pusher 11 to being pivotally connected 12 c. The pusher is located between the gear rack 13 and the trigger mechanism 12 and has two opposite ends one end making contact with the gear rack 13 and the other opposite end making contact with the trigger mechanism 11 a.

When the legs 10 are pressed together, the pusher 11 of the gear rack 13 and starts rotating the rack pinion 14 of the rotating platform 6 (FIG. 11). Pinion 14 rotates the rotating platform 6 via the jaw clutch 15 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 11. The jaw clutch 15 allows free rotation of the pinion 14 in the opposite direction.

The locking mechanism 30, shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, includes a ratchet wheel 32 having two notches 34, a lock pin 36 and a coil spring 38 so as to permit the pinion 13 to rotate only in one direction (see FIG. 12).

The toy action figure has a front hinged leaf panel 18 and a rear hinged leaf panel 19 for the two heads 4, 5 to emerge from and go behind, respectively (see FIG. 13 showing a side view of the platform 6 rotated 90 degrees). When the platform 6 is rotated a little more than 90 degrees (as shown in FIG. 14), the front hinged leaf panel 18 and hinge spring 20 return back to the closed position. At the same time, the rear hinged leaf panel 19 pushes the dual head assembly 23 inside the platform opening 24. The platform opening has guide grooves 25, 26 on both sides.

When the legs are released by the user and the platform has rotated 180 degrees, one head that was originally external to the body of the toy action figure (on top of the platform) and the other head which was internally housed within the body of the toy action figure (underneath the platform) have exchanged positions (see FIG. 15).

As stated earlier, the platform frame 6 has two guiding grooves 25, 26 on each side to guide the two heads in and out of the platform 6 as shown in FIG. 16.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate the locking mechanism 30 and shows the rotational movement of the two heads 3, 4 as one head emerges out of the body cavity 28 and the other head enters the body cavity of the toy action figure. In FIG. 17 the locking mechanism 30 is in the closed position. FIG. 18 shows the locking mechanism 30 during rotation of the two heads in the one permitted direction of rotation.

When the legs are released by the user the locking mechanism 30 (shown in FIGS. 17 and 18) keep the head in the right position while the triggering mechanism moves the pusher 11 and the rack 13 down to the starting position and the pinion 14 rotates free as described above. The coil springs 20 and 27 return the front hinged leaf panel and the rear hinged leaf panel, respectively, to their closed positions.

The present invention provides for two action figure heads. Each of the two heads 4, 5 has a different facial expression from the other (see FIGS. 6 and 7). One head 4 has a docile expression (FIG. 6). The other head 5 has a belligerent expression (FIG. 7). The heads 4, 5 are each mounted on opposite sides of a rotating platform 6 (see FIG. 3) so that when one of said heads is mounted on a top surface of said rotating platform 6, the other head is mounted on a bottom surface opposite the top surface of said rotating platform 6 and vice verse. The body of the toy action figure has a cavity 28 therein (FIGS. 3 and 4) accessible from the front hinged leaf panel 18 (FIG. 1) adapted to open and close and a rear hinged leaf panel 19 (FIG. 2) adapted to open and close.

The trigger mechanism 12 and the pusher 11 operate so that the trigger mechanism 12 causes the pusher 11 to move upward as shown in FIG. 11 when the legs 10 are pressed together. This in turn causes the rack pinion 13 to rotate so that the teeth 14 a on the pinion 14 engage the jaw clutch 15 on the rotating platform 6. A coil spring 17 keeps the two sets of teeth 14 a, 15 pressed together thus allowing the pinion 13 to rotate in only one direction (see FIG. 12).

The two heads 4, 5 that are connected on opposite surfaces (top and bottom, respectively) of the rotating platform 6 and cause the front hinged leaf panel 18 and the rear hinged leaf panel 19 to open so that the heads 4, 5 exchange positions with each other.

The toy action FIG. 1 preferably resembles a wrestler (see FIGS. 6-14).

While presently preferred embodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure, numerous changes in the arrangement of method steps and apparatus parts can be made by those skilled in the art. Such changes are encompassed within the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. A toy action figure, comprising: two action figure heads, each of said heads having a different facial expression from each other, said heads each being mounted on opposite sides of a rotating platform so that when one of said heads is mounted on a top surface of said rotating platform said other head is mounted on a bottom surface opposite said top surface of said rotating platform and vice verse; a body having a cavity therein accessible from a front panel adapted to open and close and a rear panel adapted to open and close; a pair of legs adapted to pushed together; a pusher, a gear rack and a trigger mechanism connecting said legs to said rotating platform so that when said legs are pushed together it causes one of said heads at said bottom surface of said platform and recessed within the body cavity to push open the front panel which simultaneously opens the rear panel and permits said other head to rotate through an opening of said rear panel and into said body cavity so that said heads are interchanged.
 2. The toy action figure according to claim 1 wherein said gear mechanism includes a gear rack of a clutch system connected to said pair of legs; a pinion connected to said gear rack having ratchet teeth thereon; and said rotating platform having a jaw clutch thereon wherein said jaw clutch and said ratchet teeth engage one another when said legs are pressed together and a spring for keeping said jaw clutch and said ratchet teeth together so that said rotating platform can only rotate in one direction so that when said legs are pushed together the rotating platform rotates in said one direction and causes said heads to rotate and open said front hinged leaf panel and said rear hinged leaf panel so that said heads exchange positions with each other
 3. The toy action figure according to claim 2 wherein said pusher has two ends at opposite sides thereof and one of said two ends makes contact with said trigger mechanism so that said pusher is moved in an upward direction toward said gear rack and said opposite end of said pushes engages and makes contact with said gear rack thereby causing said pinion to rotate and in turn said platform to rotate.
 4. The toy action figure according to claim 1 wherein one of said heads has a docile facial expression and another of said heads has a belligerent facial expression.
 5. The toy action figure according to claim 1 wherein said toy action figure resembles a wrestler. 